If you are going to the theatre expecting all smiles and an abundance of jazz hands, then you may be disappointed by Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers.
The gritty musical, following the unchangeable fate of the Johnstone twins, is a tumultuous sea of tragedy and humour, set to the backdrop of 1960s Liverpool.
The plot follows Mrs Johnstone, a desperate single mother, supporting her mounting litter of children on dole money and ‘never never’ catalogue buys, forever in the shadow of the bailiffs.
When Mrs Johnstone discovers she is once again pregnant, but this time to her horror, with twins, she takes an unthinkable course of action, which seals the destiny of her two boys Mickey and Eddie.
Starring Maureen Nolan, the fourth sister to have assumed the role of the leading lady, the audience is led through the mother’s battle against her own moral compass and the undying love for her children.
Nolan’s performance is stirring – her soulful alto voice delivers a pitch perfect rendition of the show’s most memorable songs.
In particular, her interpretation of the show-stopping number Tell me it’s not true, transports the audience to the centre of a mother’s heart-wrenching breakdown, leaving not a dry eye in the house.
The standout performance of the night, however, comes from Sean Jones, who plays the troublesome Mickey.
When Jones steps into the shoes of a 7-year-old boy, the audience truly believes it. He delivers some of the show’s most humorous lines with the playfulness and innocence of a young child, compelling the audience to snort, giggle and even cheer at his misdemeanours.
With Danielle Corlass by his side as entangled love-interest, Linda, and Joel Benedict as his parted twin, Eddie, the three enact a bittersweet friendship growing and changing as their lives hurtle into tragedy.
The show is fast paced, barrelling relentlessly from year to year. And, as in most musicals, especially those which have experienced over three decades of success, there has to be a bad guy.
Kate Jarman’s performance as Mrs Lyons, Eddie’s adoptive mother, evokes the perfect amount of sympathy and hatred for her character.
The audience can only watch as she descends into madness, setting the wheels in motion for her own eventual misery.
However, the show would not be complete without the infamous narrator, played by Wet Wet Wet’s Marti Pellow, who has reprised the role from January 2015.
Pellow embodies the sinister figure perfectly, lurking in the corner of each scene, reminding the audience that no matter how jovial it all seems, fate will eventually catch up with the doomed brothers.
Blood Brothers is captivating in more ways than one. Willy Russell has succeeded in balancing the comedic and tragic elements of the story to create an emotional minefield for the audience.
With stunning musical numbers and consistent performances from actors that have performed the roles for so long, it is hard not be drawn into their plight, Blood Brothers delivers something that many shows cannot.
As the curtain closes, every member of the audience is on their feet, shocked by what they have just seen, but grateful for every last turbulent moment of it.
Blood Brothers is at the Palace Theatre, Oxford Road, from Wednesday 4 March to Saturday 14 March.
For tickets, click here
Image courtesy of Blood Brothers via YouTube, with thanks.
